HBO Holds Off on Streaming Service Launch in Norway; Netflix Faces Possible Fine in Norway

TechCrunch reports that HBO has delayed plans to launch a stand-alone streaming service in Norway, just after Netflix launched in Finland, Norway, Sweden and Denmark. This will be the first battleground for Netflix and HBO, but HBO Nordic CEO Herve Payan announced a delay in the launch:

“The launch of the HBO Nordic network and streaming service is highly anticipated and will be deserving of HBO’s high-quality reputation. We have been in contact with and are listening to our significant local fan base. Slightly pushing back the launch is not tied to one specific reason but simply our desire to meet all expectations. This has been communicated directly to those awaiting HBO Nordic and we have gotten nothing less than an enthusiastic response.”

How much would you pay for a stand-alone streaming service from HBO? When do you think they'll launch in the USA?

Reader John sent in a story from the Views & News in Norway site that says the state may fine Netflix over the terms of use:

The US-based film and TV streaming system Netflix is now available for use in Norway and seems well-received except in one important area: Its rules of use demand Norwegian consumers to give up their consumer rights in Norway, and that’s viewed as illegal.State regulators called the rules “unreasonable” and threatened it’s likely any attempted enforcement of them by Netflix would be struck down in a Norwegian court. In the meantime, Netflix may get hit with a ban on enforcing their rules of use and a fine “if they don’t change them,” Petter Ravne Bugten of the state consumer ombudsman’s office told newspaper Aftenposten.